If there is ever going to be a time for the Buffalo Sabres to make up
ground, it's now.

The Sabres hope to continue taking advantage of a very favorable schedule
when they face the Carolina Hurricanes for the second time in five days.

A 3-1 victory over Carolina on Friday ended Buffalo's season-high,
eight-game winless streak, which included seven straight losses. Saturday's 3-1
win over last-place Washington gave the Sabres back-to-back victories for the
first time since Nov. 26-28.

"It's a big relief to finally win some games," Buffalo's Miroslav Satan
said. "Hopefully, we get confidence and continue to play this way."

After visiting Carolina, the Sabres host the struggling Capitals again on
Wednesday before facing Anaheim -- another last-place team -- on Friday.

Satan figured in all three scores Saturday with a goal and two assists, and
Mika Noronen stopped 21 shots as Buffalo won despite missing top forwards J.P.
Dumont and Chris Drury.

"The thing that's most impressive was that we had a couple of key players
out of the lineup, two of your top three in the points department," Buffalo
coach Lindy Ruff said. "The guys stuck with it, played hard and got
rewarded."

Dumont is expected to miss at least a week after injuring his hip in
Friday's win. Drury could return Monday after missing four games with a
separated shoulder.

Noronen is making a strong case for more playing time. He is 2-0-1 in his
last three starts, allowing just four goals.

Sean Hill's second power-play goal of the game 39 seconds into overtime
lifted the Hurricanes to a 2-1 victory over Montreal on Saturday.

Carolina had been scoreless on its last 26 power plays, including 18 in a
row under new coach Peter Laviolette.

The Hurricanes are 3-2 since Laviolette replaced Paul Maurice, with each win
coming by a 2-1 score.

Laviolette changed up his lines and defensive pairings Saturday in an effort
to improve the league's worst offense, but Carolina was held to two goals or
fewer for the 27th time in 35 games.

"I don't think we'll be the highest scoring team in the NHL, but the goals
will come more freely -- maybe with confidence, maybe with wins," Laviolette
said.